[Magic Number 90%]⑦ "Gukhoe Member is a Citizen Representative, Not an Elite... What Does 'Multiple Terms and Age' Matter?"

The Issue Is 'Privilege'... Five-Term Lawmaker Without Aide, Walking Standing Committee Chair
Lawmakers Commuting on Foot Riding Economy Class
Sweden: 8 out of 10 Trust Politics vs. Half of Koreans Distrust It

Walking through the corridor connected to the Swedish Parliament building, there are 349 office doors tightly lined up. This space is where 349 members of parliament from eight political parties work, similar to the National Assembly Members' Office Building in South Korea. Each office is so cramped that it barely fits when you stretch out your arms, making it difficult to work alone. There are no exceptions, whether the member is a first-term or a veteran. This contrasts with South Korea’s Members' Office Building, which separately provides offices for lawmakers, staff workspaces, and reception rooms, and has even expanded to a second building.

Sweden, known for its "working parliament," does not allow members of parliament to hire personal aides. Instead, each party receives subsidies to pay salaries for their staff, supporting legislative activities. Members of parliament commute by bicycle or on foot. They do not receive chauffeurs or official cars for work purposes. It is common to encounter "walking MPs" near the tourist-packed Parliament building. When traveling abroad, they fly economy class rather than business class. While 8 out of 10 Swedes trust politics, 8 out of 10 Koreans do not trust the National Assembly. This difference in perception toward politics stems from the "privileges of members of parliament."

Photo by Swedish lawmakers' offices where they conduct their work. It is a small space where only lawmakers can sit, and there are no personal assistants.

Photo by Olle Thorell, a member of the Social Democratic Party, welcoming with open arms in his office. Although he is a five-term lawmaker elected five times in parliamentary elections, he handles everything alone, from answering phone calls, managing schedules, to receiving and guiding visitors.

Sweden Without Aides: MPs Welcome Guests Themselves

According to Sweden’s "Party Support Act for Parliamentary Work (Member Support Act)," a "political aide" is defined as a person working in the party office, with a budget allocated for one political aide per member of parliament. However, receiving a budget does not mean hiring one aide per member; MPs only receive help from policy aides within the party when legislative support is needed. This contrasts with South Korea’s National Assembly, where each member can hire nine personal aides and additional staff if holding positions such as committee chairperson.

Olle Thorell, a five-term Social Democratic Party member, personally handles everything from welcoming guests to scheduling interviews and sharing legislative activities on social media (SNS) with supporters. He has uploaded over 2,500 videos reporting on his parliamentary activities, all filmed and edited by himself.

Olle said, "In other countries, MPs are seen as 'political elites' or 'privileged classes,' but in Sweden, the 349 MPs are viewed as representatives of the entire Swedish society," adding, "They come from various professions such as cleaners, drivers, doctors, and teachers." He emphasized, "As representatives of all walks of life, they consider how to create laws and, when necessary, consult experts and receive administrative assistance to resolve issues."

Photo by Olle Thorell, a Social Democratic Party member of the National Assembly serving his fifth term, introducing promotional materials he created himself. As a fifth-term member, Olle Thorell makes election promotional materials personally without a private secretary.

How Swedish MPs Commute: Choosing the Most Suitable Means Based on Cost and Time

Sweden has removed privileges even in how MPs commute. They use their own cars, public transportation such as subways and buses, bicycles, or walk. Walking is the most common. It must be affordable, eco-friendly, fast, and safe. The only person in Swedish politics who can regularly use an official car is the Prime Minister.

For MPs living far from the Parliament building in Stockholm, accommodation is provided, roughly the size of a studio apartment. If the MP’s spouse or family lives with them in the provided accommodation, they must pay half the rent. This is because taxpayers’ money should be used only for the MPs themselves. In 2011, an MP was ousted for receiving full accommodation support while living with a partner.

Most MPs receiving accommodation support walk to work. If they must commute from a distant location, they use their own car at their own expense.

Photo by Tobias Andersson of the Sweden Democrats, who is 27 years old this year but has already been elected as a member of parliament for the second time, serving as the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Industrial Innovation. This contrasts with the domestic practice where committee chairpersons are chosen based on seniority and age.

Tobias Andersson, a re-elected member of the Sweden Democrats and chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry and Innovation, is also a "walking MP." In an interview with Asia Economy held at the MPs’ office building in Stockholm, he said, "Normally, travel expenses are reimbursed for work-related travel, but since becoming committee chair, I have been provided an apartment within walking distance, so I walk about 20 minutes each way." He added, "In other countries, MPs are important figures and may receive privileges, but in Sweden, MPs are just working people like any other employee."

Born in 1996 and now 27 years old, Tobias has been a re-elected MP since 2018 (at age 22). He started party activities at 16 and was elected as a city councilor for the Sweden Democrats in 2014 at age 18. At 19, he served as chairman of the Sweden Democrats Youth Union (SDU). With 11 years of political experience in his mid-to-late 20s, he was named one of the "100 Most Influential People in Sweden."

Therefore, it is not surprising that Tobias holds the position of committee chair in Swedish politics. He said, "The average age of Swedish MPs is in their 40s, and recently, the number of young politicians has increased." This is a major difference from domestic politics, where committee chairs are selected based on seniority and age. Tobias explained, "Although I was elected at a young age, I was trusted by the party and became a committee chair. Committee chairs in Sweden are decided through party negotiations and then selected based on expertise." He laughed, saying, "Many might be surprised to see that I will visit Korea this August as a committee chair representing Sweden."

Photo by Tobias Andersson, a re-elected member of the Sweden Democrats and chairman of the Parliamentary Industry Innovation Committee. As a standing committee chairman, his office is larger than those of other members. However, there was no personal aide assigned here either.

South Korea vs Sweden: Parliament Trust 20% vs 63%, Political Trust 56% vs 85%

Sweden’s politics, which eliminated privileges, has earned the trust of its citizens. Unlike in South Korea, where politicians are seen as an "elite group," MPs in Sweden described the parliament as a place where representatives of Swedish society gather. This explains why parliamentary trust is 63% and political trust is 85%.

According to the World Values Survey conducted every five years, as of 2022, only 20.7% of South Korean respondents answered positively to the question about "trust in the National Assembly" (2.2% very positive, 18.5% somewhat positive), while 79.3% responded negatively. Among the negative responses, 27.0% said they "do not trust at all," far exceeding the total positive responses. In contrast, 63.3% of Swedes (9.0% very positive, 54.3% somewhat positive) answered positively, with only 34.4% negative responses.

The gap was even larger in "political trust." While 56.6% of South Korean respondents said they trust domestic politics, 85.8% of Swedes expressed trust in their politics. Only 13.7% responded negatively. Considering that 43.5% of South Koreans responded negatively about politics, the difference in perspectives is clear. Denmark also showed contrasting results with parliamentary trust at 46.3% and political trust at 87.6%, opposite to South Korea.

Worldwide, politicians are generally among the least trusted professions. A 2019 survey by Ipsos, a UK market research firm, across 23 countries found that "politicians" were the least trusted profession globally. However, there were differences by country: 69% of South Koreans responded negatively, higher than the average of 67%, while Sweden’s negative response rate was 57%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.